


There Are No Real Monsters (But There Are, Aren't They?)

by Tish



Category: Aliens (1986)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 09:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5042992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tish/pseuds/Tish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little girl all alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Are No Real Monsters (But There Are, Aren't They?)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ijemanja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijemanja/gifts).



“We're going to be rich, Mrs. Jorden.” 

At the sound of her father's voice, Newt turned from her exploration of the salad bowl just in time to see him kiss her mom. Timmy screwed his nose up and reached for another roll, crossing his eyes at Newt. She giggled and cuddled closer to her mother, who wrapped an arm around her, the chunky beads of her necklaces clinking slightly as she moved.

A few fluffy, bunny-shaped clouds drifted near a happy sun as Newt sleepily curled her toes in the grass.

“Happy birthday, mommy,” Newt whispered, the words barely audible in the dimly lit vent space. She clutched the beads tighter and dared to close her eyes. Adrenaline and exhaustion battled inside her body as she lay huddled among the cushions. She slept fitfully.

+++

Newt shrieked, then clamped her hands over her mouth as she dissolved into giggles. Timmy lumbered towards her, arms outstretched and laughing in a most un-monstery way. He thudded into a wall and paused to adjust his scary mask so that he could see out of it, and slowly stomped across to her.

“Rawrrr! I'm a monster! Stop laughing, Rebecca! I'm going to eat you!” Timmy flailed his arms at Newt and brought her into a sloppy embrace as she squealed with joy.

 

Newt was silent, eyes wide with terror. The monsters were so fast, so quiet. The only sound she could hear was Timmy's screams as they took him away. As the sound of blood rushed through her ears, Newt became aware of the silence that suddenly descended. It took her an hour to move from her crouched position.

+++

“There you are! We were so worried, Newt!” Her dad scooped her up and held her close. “Now, you gotta remember never to wander off, sweetheart.” His eyes softened as Newt's eyes filled with tears, adding gently, “Your mom and I have to keep you safe, so we can watch you grow up and have kids of your own to scold.”

Newt found a smile as she hugged her dad back. “I'm sorry, I was exploring and got lost.”

Newt's dad smiled, heart full of pride. “You're a true Jorden, always full of adventure, always wanting to see what's round the next corner.”

 

Newt inched along the wall, dreading every step. The kitchens were just around the corner, but her feet felt heavier with every step. Her stomach growled and she froze, pinning herself against the grating, waiting for _them_ to snatch her away. A half-remembered story of a man who could walk through walls came to her and she wished she could melt into safety, but that was just a fairy tale, she was trapped in a tale far worse than Baba Yaga, Fitcher's Bird, or the Big Bad Wolf. 

She had nobody to keep her safe from these wolves. She had no Fairy Godmother. She couldn't close a picture book and have everything be okay. She knew was all alone, and she knew that she would die alone.


End file.
